Girls (?) & Panzer
by Kamikaze Bear
Summary: The leader of the Kurebayashi Group, Haruka, wanted to experience the thrills of Sensha-do, and chose to enroll in Oarai to train with Miho Nishizumi and the gang. But there's something about this young girl... Read and Review... This story has been revised...
1. Mysterious Girl

**Girls (?) und Panzer! **

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Girls und Panzer.

**Chapter 1: Mystery: A rich girl appears!**

It has already been several months since the Sensha-do nationals where the underdog, Oarai All Girls Academy claimed victory against the once nine-time Sensha-do Champion, Black Forest Peak High School. They are able to stay for another great school year. With Oarai no longer in threat of closure, the current champions can once again enter the Sensha-do national tournament, this time without any thorns ringed around their throats.

8:30AM in the academy warship, Oarai.

The sun was rising from the horizon—not in full shine—but bright, slowly revealing itself behind the calm Japanese sea. The ship was cruising smoothly with her crew manning her well, not to disturb any sleeping civilians on board. The Academy Warship was about to moor at their home port in Ibaraki.

In Oarai's homes, it was another normal day for them. The women were preparing breakfast, while the men were reading newspapers about the current events on board and back at the mainland. People preparing to go to work, getting in their cars and going to their jobs, and some were cleaning their houses or taking out the trash.

In Oarai's suburban parts lied an apartment. One of the rooms there belonged to the commander of the champion team, Nishizumi Miho. She was sleeping soundly in her bed, her curtains covering much of the sunlight. Having her favourite injured teddy bear near her, she was covered with a blanket, snoring lightly, dreaming of another good day with her friends and what they will be doing for the new school year.

*Criiiiiiing!* her alarm went. Her hand slowly reached for it and turned it off.

She slowly opened her eyes—the left much opened wider—and slowly got up from bed. Miho opened her window curtains wide and was embraced with the morning sunshine with a smile on her face. Taking in one deep breath and said.

"Another school year starts, I'm finally a senior."

She started her day with a light breakfast. Miho took a slice of loaf bread, which she bought just a day ago, and placed it inside the toaster. Then she reached for the strawberry jam inside her little refrigerator and opens the lid to have a nice jelly toast.

She washed her face and brushed her teeth then got ready to face a new day ahead of her. Then strips off her pyjamas and reaches for her Oarai School Uniform, putting on her shirt, zipping her skirt up, and tying her neck scarf. Miho took her bag and went outside her room, with the sea breeze gently blowing her short brown hair. She closed the door and went down the stairs, only to go back up because she forgot to lock the door.

Meanwhile, back in the Mainland

Somewhere in the Ibaraki Prefecture, another girl was also preparing for her first day of class. Her house's lot was a hectare large. At the centre, was the house. The house was a big mansion, with a western, Meiji-era design. The house was made of stone, with a fancy, western-style, cyan rooftop. If people did not know any better, they would have thought it was the Bank of Japan, and not some fancy mansion.

It was in a shape of a square with a longer rectangular wing at the east side. There was a three-story octagonal tower that arose at the west corner of the mansion, where the former masters of the home would look at the beautiful sea just a few kilometres away from them, this is where the stairwell was found as well.

Inside the house was stunning. The living hall was vast, and the floor was covered with an expensive carpet imported from the Middle East. The walls were made entirely of fine oak, and not stone like the outside. The hall was two stories tall, with a wonderfully painted ceiling. It had a cabinet with fine china inside, as well as a vast collection of different grounded tea leaves and a tea set found on the left side of the hall. There were two big windows draped with red curtains, and in between, was a pine fireplace carved magnificently. The frieze was carved with a floral pattern with a chrysanthemum on the middle. The firebox was black, so that the ashes would not be obvious. On top of the mantle, though, were a small bell and an incense stick with a bouquet on the middle. On top of the fireplace was a large portrait of the master of the household, but with his portrait draped in black.

There was an agarwood coffee table with a glass centre in the middle of the living hall. On top of it was a beautifully arranged flower vase to give a better atmosphere. The chair and sofas that faced the table had well carved wooden frames and legs, with cushions stuffed with comfortable material. Just near the sofas was a red grand piano, made from strong wood and with ivory keys.

The corridors had an elegant aura in it, with crystal chandeliers lighting the red carpet-covered passages to many different rooms with fine oak doors. The rooms differed from each other, there was a large bath room made with expensive tiles, a library that covered two floors full of shelves with different varieties of books. And there were rooms for the residents.

Inside the girl's room, it was big, but dim, with the light switch off and only the windows letting the sun illuminate the room. The girl wore her uniform, but was hesitant, nervous to put on a _seifuku_ and a short skirt. Nonetheless, she had to put it on. After putting on her uniform, she looked at the mirror and told herself.

"I'm going to do what I've always wanted to… Father."

A knock was heard from her door, it was the butler of the family

"L—*ehem*Lady Haruka, the car is ready and your items are being prepared as ordered. We'll be departing for Oarai any time you please."

"Thank you, Tomoyuki. I'll be there in a moment." said the girl.

Back in Oarai, Miho was walking down hill from her apartment to Oarai Girls High School, her school. As she walked towards the gate, she sees more of her fellow school mates headed there. Freshmen girls could be seen around talking to their fellow freshmen, juniors talking about how they are finally going to have seniority over the freshmen. Miho did not see any seniors until someone called her from behind.

"Good Morning, Miporin!"

It was the ginger-haired boy chaser, Takebe Saori, the team's radio operator. As usual, she had her upbeat personality that Miho found amusing. Then Miho noticed that Saori was struggling to carry something behind her. Miho looked and saw Saori carrying the sleeping Reizei Mako, the smart tank driver plague with hypotension, to school.

"I had to make sure Mako wasn't late for the first day of school." said Saori, giggling with a struggling tone. Miho decided to help carry Mako to school, like what she did last year. She took Mako by the left arm, with Saori in the right. Mako was heavier than she looked, so she was carried by the arms with her feet being dragged on the ground. As they got to the gate, they saw the discipline committee. It was once led by Mako's somewhat-of-a-rival, Sono Midoriko, or as she was often called "Sodoko", much to her dismay. Now the authority was given to Gotou Moyoko, or "Gomoyo", after Midoriko had graduated from Oarai.

"Well well, you managed to go to the first day of school dead asleep huh, Reizei? Without Nishizumi and Takebe you'd probably be late!" she scolded, although it sounded hesitant as compared to how Sodoko did it.

Mako tried to get up on her two feet and struggled to keep her balance as she limps towards Gomoyo, grabbing her shoulders to keep her up while some saliva drooling down her mouth.

"Eh, Gomoyo! Look… I'm completely awake!"

"Good Morning Gomoyo!" Saori greeted  
"Oh he- Hey! Don't call me Gomoyo! And would you get Reizei off me, she's heavy and drooling on my uniform!" Gomoyo said as she tried to get Mako off her.

Saori, Miho, and Mako—carried by both—went to see the class roster. Miho and Saori were once again classmates.

"Look, Miporin! We're in the same class!"  
"Really!?" Miho said in excitement

They continued looking at the roster and noticed Mako was in the same class as well

"Mako's our classmate as well, won't that be great?" Miho said  
"Well at least I can watch over Mako if ever she skips class." Saori said while looking at the twitching Mako, sleeping while hanging on their shoulders.

"Hey!" Miho said as she saw the rest of their class roster. They saw the names of both Akiyama Yukari, the tank-fanatic loader of the team, and also Isuzu Hana, the _wallflower_ gunner of the team.

"I'm so glad the entire Anglerfish team is in one class." Miho chuckled  
"You heard that, Mako? If one of us goes absent, someone's still there to know whether you skipped class or not." Saori said as she shook Mako, Mako had one eyelid slightly opened, but she was not paying any attention.

As Miho, Saori and Mako got to their classroom, they saw the very excited Yukari. Yukari ran like a Cruiser Tank fleeing the battlefield and yelled

"Lady Nishizumi!" tackling Miho with a big embrace

Miho, Yukari, and Mako all fell on the floor. Yukari was still embracing Miho and rubbing her head on Miho, her fluffy perm felt like a duster. Mako was still asleep, but on the cold floor, in a fetal position.

"Mako get up!" Saori shouted  
"The floor's cold…" Mako said faintly

"Lady Nishizumi! I did all I can in studying to get my grades up! I read the books all night and made sure to be in the same level as you! I can't believe we became classmates! I'm so lucky to be a classmate of Lady Nishizumi!" Yukari said

Miho tried to get up, but with Yukari hugging her like a bear it was making it hard for her. Miho smirked "Yukari, uhmm... Could you please let me stand?"

"I'm so sorry, Lady Nishizumi!" Yukari quickly got off and apologized  
"It's nice to see you again, Lady Takebe, Lady Reizei."

"Hey, Yukarin." Saori waved

"It's nice to see that we're all in the same class." said the ever elegant Hana Isuzu, walking towards Miho and the group.

"Good morning everyone." she said

"Good morning, Hana!" Saori greeted  
"Good morning, Hana." Miho smiled

"Lady Isuzu and I bumped into each other this morning. We were both looking at the list and saw we were all classmates! I was so happy!" Yukari said so merrily.

As they got to their classroom, they saw a lot of students inside the room, talking about fashion, makeup and other girl-related subjects. Some were even talking about a new student in their class. Then one of the students went to Miho's group and said.

"Uh… excuse me, a-are you Nishizumi Miho?"  
Miho was surprised, having a shy demeanour, she started stuttering as she talked to the young girl.

"Y-yes!? Can I help you?"

The young girl too was nervous talking to Miho.  
"Uhmm… It's just that I'm really quite honoured to be a classmate of a Nishizumi." The girl was quite shy, but she had a notepad in her hands, she asked Miho.

"C-Can I please get your autograph?" said the girl

Miho was quite surprised, never having been asked to get an autograph, this was her first time. Miho was speechless, and did not know what to do, but she nodded lightly and said

"O-okay."

Taking the notepad and a pen then giving the girl an autograph, Miho noticed that the notepad was old and had autographs from different people who had played Sensha-do, it even included her older sister Maho's. Miho gave the notepad back to the girl.

"T-thank you so much." The girl bowed as a sign of gratitude

The other students looked at Miho and started talking amongst themselves.

"_Hey that's Miho Nishizumi!"  
"I heard last year, she took on her older sister Maho!"  
"Yeah, Oarai's the current Sensha-do champion because of her! She's pretty awesome, isn't she?"  
"She doesn't look like a Sensha-do girl. Look how innocent-looking she is. But I'm amazed!"_

Hana smiled at Miho and said "You've gained a lot of attention, Miho."  
Saori then teased "I'm jealous Miporin, you might get a boyfriend in no time!"

Miho's face turned red of embarrassment, which Saori found very cute to look at—hence her doing it to Miho, frequently.

Several minutes later they left the room for the entrance ceremony. Words from the principal, and from the new student council was shared to the students of the school. The old student council who once were a part of the Sensha-do tournament last year had finally graduated, leaving the entire school up to the newly voted ones. After the entrance ceremony, the students started to leave the auditorium.

Just after leaving the auditorium, there were already some students recruiting other people to join different clubs. There was the calligraphy club, the flower arrangement club, and miscellaneous electives. Sensha-Do, had become even popular because Oarai, an underdog from last year's tournament, had brought the trophy to their school.

Lunch time

Miho, Yukari, Hana, and Saori with the awake, but hungry, Mako went to the tank garage. Opening the door, Miho and company saw their Panzer Ausf. H covered in cloth. They took off the cover and saw the tank was how they left it. Although it was used after the Sensha-Do Nationals for friendly exhibition matches, it was not used for the duration of the Spring Break.

They got on top of the tank and prepared their box lunches. Yukari opened her lunch and saw it was the same tank-themed box lunch her mother prepared for her. Saori was amused by the theme, and took a picture of it, like what she did last year. The girls then started talking about different things but were always leading to the fun memories they had when they were playing Sensha-do. They were becoming sentimental, having lunch on top of the tank that helped them win the tournament and kept Oarai from closing.

Miho knew how much the Panzer IV meant to all of them. All the moments they have shared while being in the tank. Miho then asked the other girls a question.

"Hey guys?"  
"What is it Miporin?" Saori asked

"Do you guys want to play Sensha-do again?"

The group went silent. But after the silence, they all looked at each other and smiled at Miho. Miho already knew what they were thinking.

"Miporin. You don't have to ask. Of course we're going to do Sensha-do this year!" Saori answered  
"And we'll defeat the enemy with your skills and wits, Lady Nishizumi!" Yukari added  
"We'll need you to infiltrate other schools… Sergeant Oddball..." Monotonously said by Mako while eating a riceball

"Please forget about that name!"

"Hahahahaha!"

They laughed. Like before, they were close together, bonded by their love for Sensha-do, and love as a team. Their bonds were strong, hot and hard like steel.

After their break, they went back to the classroom, surprised to see their homeroom teacher near the door, behind the teacher were three students they have not seen before. The group paid it no mind and went to their seats, and the rest of the class did too, with the homeroom teacher going inside to give an announcement.

"Hello everyone. I know all of you have known each other already given that you are all seniors. Now as much as you all know each other, we have three new students that have just recently transferred to Oarai. They didn't show up this morning because they were still filing some reports for transferring so suddenly. Come inside, girls."

"Hey Miporin, those must be the three girls we saw a while ago." whispered Saori  
"I wonder if they're friendly?" Hana said

The three girls went inside the classroom. The first and third girls were taller than the one in the middle. The first girl was tall, elegant, and beautiful. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail with a long white ribbon. She had big brown eyes with a fierce, warrior stare like looking straight down the barrel of an "eighty-eight" gun. She was blessed with a voluptuous figure that every male would want in a woman, and with flawless, pinkish-white skin.

Her Oarai uniform was short exposing her sexy midriff. Her skirt was of the same size normal girls in their school had, and she was wearing long, white socks. Her most notable feature was her _Shinai_, slung in a case behind her.

"My name is Sakamoto Yoshimi. I am eighteen years old, and a bodyguard of Lady Haruka, it is nice to meet you." she bowed

"Bodyguard?" Mako went

The third girl was as tall as Miss Yoshimi, but she was different in personality and appearance. She was just as elegant and voluptuous as Yoshimi, but with a better endowed bust. Her hair was long and brown, flowing gracefully down her hip. Her eyes were blue, and gave a mature, princess-like aura. Her face was charming, that every man will love. She was paler compared to Yoshimi, but her skin was radiant and flawless.

Her Oarai uniform was much more conservative, with a longer skirt, down to her knee. Her shirt was tight around the chest, but that was the biggest she can go for. Unlike Yoshimi's _shinai_, she had a _bokken_ instead.

"A good day to you, my name is Miyazaki Yoshiko. I am eighteen years old, and I too am a bodyguard of Lady Haruka. I look forward to be with all of you." She spoke with in formal, soft spoken way that can be comparable to how Hana speaks.

And at the centre of the group, was the one the two fine ladies were protecting. The girl at the middle was not too tall, just two inches taller than Miho. She was not as voluptuous as her bodyguards, convincingly female hips, which gave her a figure of a pre-teenage girl with room for growth in her chest. Her blonde hair was short and in a bob cut. Her eyes were big, violet, and feminine. Her very presence was that of a doll. Unlike her bodyguards, she had no weapon.

She had nothing special on her uniform, but she was always pulling her short skirt down for some reason.

"My name is Haruka Kurebayashi. I-it's nice to meet you all." Her voice was raspy, and not too deep, sounding like a boyish young woman. Her doll-like charms, along with attractive bodyguards attracted the attention of all the girls in the classroom, with the exception of the Anglerfish team.

"Kya~! She's so adorable!"  
"She's like a doll! Can I bring her home!?"

Saori then noticed, her surname was Kurebayashi. In Ibaraki, the Kurebayashi family was a wealthy family that owned a large company back in mainland Japan. The Kurebayashi family also contributed with the construction of Academy Warships, although Oarai was not one of them. Then some of her classmates started whispering.

"_A Kurebayashi?"  
"Hey, isn't that a rich family? Why'd they pick Oarai?"  
"She should have picked Saint Gloriana if she's that loaded, right?"  
"I heard the head of the Kurebayashi family passed away just some weeks ago."  
"No way! Poor girl."_

Haruka then looked around, and noticed Miho in front of her. She and her bodyguards walked up to the clueless girl. Miho was quite surprised that they were walking towards her. She was nervous about the walking girls. Did they want an autograph as well?

"Are you Nishizumi Miho?" asked Haruka  
"Y-yes!" Miho replied

Yukari, Saori, Hana, and Mako were looking at them with hostile eyes, thinking of defending their commander and friend from anyone who wants to do her harm. Only to be left surprised with Haruka's sudden bow, along with Yoshimi and Yoshiko.

"We look forward to fighting with you!" they shouted

Miho was completely surprised with Haruka's actions.

"Eh!?" she went.


	2. Bonds

**Chapter 2:**** Bonds**

It has been a week since Kurebayashi Haruka, the heir of the large Kurebayashi Group, transferred to Oarai. What was surprising was that Haruka knew Miho was the commander of last year's champion team. Haruka and her bodyguards tried to talk to Miho, but Haruka was of higher upbringing, so she had no idea how to talk to Miho. She and her bodyguards ended up looking like stalkers instead.

During lunch period, Miho and her friends went down stair to the cafeteria to eat lunch. When they left the classroom, Miho noticed someone was looking at her from afar. It was Haruka and her bodyguards behind the door of the room. When Miho came to look back, she saw nobody there.

"Hey Miporin, what's up?" Saori asked  
"Nothing, I felt like someone was looking at me."  
"Eww, feeling like someone has a crush on you and is stalking you?" Saori teased  
"It's not like that! And this is an all-girls school!" Miho blushed.

"It might just be your imagination, Miho." Hana said

Miho just shrugged it off and they continued walking. Haruka and her bodyguards were sitting behind the door and sighed in relief. They thought they might be accused of stalking—which in fact they were—constantly looking at Miho like that. Yoshiko found it rather bizarre why Haruka would not just talk to Miho like a normal person would.

"Lady Haruka, why don't you just talk to Miss Nishizumi?"

Haruka wanted to do that in the first place, but after what they did during the first day of school.

"_We look forward to fighting with you!"_

"_Eh!?" Miho went. Unknowing what the three meant, the class thought it was a farce. The Anglerfish team themselves had no idea what they meant. At first, it was awkward silence, the class was silent, the teacher was confused as well. Then came whispering, being girls they started wondering what went on with Miho and Haruka._

"_I wonder what's going on?"  
"Fighting? __What did she mean by that?"  
"Some kind of feud between them?"  
"No way, I doubt they'd fight each other!"  
__"__But s__he has bodyguards! This might not go well."_

What Haruka meant to say was actually aboutSensha-Do. She has always been fond of tanks and other military-related things since she was still a child. Haruka wanted to play Sensha-Do with other people, but there were several things that hindered her from doing so, such as being the head of the Kurebayashi family and the only heir to the Kurebayashi group.

Then Yoshiko thought of a solution that might solve any misunderstandings

"Maybe we should explain to Miss Nishizumi what we meant last week, instead of following her around like stalkers." Yoshiko smiled.

"Well, yeah. But… I have no idea how to talk to Nishizumi, after that last stunt." Haruka said  
"Don't worry, Lady Haruka! We'll be there to help you out! Please don't worry." Yoshimi said

Then Yoshiko noticed that Haruka was pulling her skirt down. She has noticed this since Haruka started wearing the uniform. Haruka was embarrassed because she has never worn something this revealing.

"Lady Haruka, I told you that you should have worn a longer skirt." Yoshiko said  
"Well I tried using your skirt but they're too loose." Haruka looked down

After lunch, Miho was fixing her things and prepared for the next class. Their next teacher always arrived ten minutes late because the last class was at the other building. This gave enough time for Haruka and the others to talk to Miho and fix their misunderstanding. Haruka took a deep breath and went to Miho.

Their classmates saw Haruka walk towards Miho again, thinking that Haruka might do something to Miho.

"_Here they go again."_ One of them said

Before the Haruka can even get to Miho, the Anglerfish team went in between the two, trying to protect Miho. Saori was the first to speak

"If you've got a problem with Miporin, just say it!"  
"You're being too hostile to Miho, is there an unsolved issue between you two?" Hana said  
"No one will hurt Lady Nishizumi without going through me!" Yukari added  
"Don't even try it." the surprisingly awake Mako said

"We're not here to bicker with you!" Yoshimi answered back. The girls went silent. Miho was panicking, thinking of what trouble she might have done to the three new girls in front of her. Yoshimi did look hostile after shouting and immediately apologized for any misunderstanding.

"Uh… I'm sorry I yelled."  
"Anyway." She continued  
"We don't want to start a farce after misunderstanding what we said. Lady Haruka meant no harm."

The Anglerfish team all sighed in relief, thinking that there might be trouble within the class, the other girls inside did the same. Then Yukari asked what the three new girls meant.

"Then what do you guys mean by, 'Fighting'?"

Haruka looked at Miho and called her.

"Miss Nishizumi?"  
"Yes!?"  
"What I meant by fighting was…" Haruka started to shiver from nervousness, but she had to ask her. If she did not, then she would not go anywhere with their current situation. She took a deep breath and asked.

"May we join you… in playing Sensha-Do?"

"EEEEHH!? THAT'S IT!?" shouted the girls inside the classroom, dismayed. What they thought of as a duel between prominent families was just a misunderstanding about Haruka joining the Sensha-Do club.

"Well… you don't have to ask me to join. They'll give out forms for you and you can choose there." Miho tried to smile, but was still greatly affected and surprised, so she cannot make a proper one. Haruka and her bodyguards had no idea about it, thinking that they would have to ask the leader of a Sensha-Do team to join in on the sport.

"I-I see… thank you." She and her bodyguards bowed.

The following day, they had lunch in the cafeteria, a good way to make new friends. The Anglerfish team, along with Haruka and the others, sat on tables they have placed together. After reconciling with the Anglerfish team, Haruka, Yoshimi, and Yoshiko joined them for lunch. They were a group of eight and decided to choose the tables in the cafeteria that can accommodate them all.

The group was surprised with Haruka's _bento_. It was a _bento_ with spectacular preparation. Two boxes filled with food made from the finest ingredients and cooked to perfection. _Tempura_ made from fat, well cultured prawns, and fried to be nice and crispy. Delicious _Yakitori_ made from big and healthy poultry, the food had succulent golden brown skin and one bite and the taste sticks to the tongue. The rice was made from delicious small-grains, they were white and fat, flavourful in itself. Thick _Tamagoyaki_ was soft and light as a feather, like small edible pillows packed with flavour. The lunch was beautiful in appearance, and heavenly in taste. Knowing the ingredients and preparation of the food already gave off the hint that Haruka came from a rich family.

"Wow! That _bento_ looks nice!" said Saori as she took a picture of the wonderful meal in front of her with her phone.

"Thank you" Yoshiko replied  
"The food was prepared by Yoshiko, she's a great cook!" Yoshimi added  
"Please, it's nothing." Yoshiko sreplied

Yoshimi and Yoshiko's food were no better, with the same quality of ingredients, but different food. Yoshimi focused on a nutritious and balanced diet of _miso_ soup, _natto_, brown rice, and salmon. Yoshiko had three pieces of _onigiri_ in one pack, the other being _donburi__._

The elegant big eater, Hana, was more curious about Haruka, albeit she was attracted to her _bento_ as well. One thing on her mind was how she has two young bodyguards with her.

"Excuse me, miss Kurebayashi? May I ask why you have such young women to be your bodyguards?" she asked politely

"We've known Lady Haruka ever since childhood. We were orphaned and were accepted by our former Lord, Saburo. Lord Saburo was Lady Haruka's father. He recently passed away." Yoshimi said as she quietly drank a cup of tea. She sounded upset after telling them of Kurebayashi Saburo's death.

"Although not adopted into the Kurebayashi family, Lord Saburo raised us like his own children, and in gratitude, we will follow and protect Lady Haruka with our lives." said the sad Yoshiko, still mourning for her Lady's loss.

"Oh my! I'm sorry to have brought back a touchy subject." Hana apologized  
"No it's okay, Ms. Isuzu." said Haruka, smiling at Hana. Although Haruka still felt upset about the passing of her father.

Hana smiled back, to lighten the aura and said to Haruka to just call her by her given name

"Please, just call me Hana."  
"Is it okay if we called you Haruka?" Saori asked

Being asked if Haruka could be called by her given name meant the girls wanted to be close friends with her. Haruka felt weird being called by her given name, but if it meant getting closer with them, then by-no-means did she decline.

"Sure, I'm okay with it."

Yukari then noticed that both Yoshiko and Yoshimi have sword-like weapons with them as if they were members of a _yanki_ group. Bringing a _bokken_ and _shinai_ was allowed, although normally it needed a casing. She asked them both.

"Judging by those practice weapons you're holding. Are you practicing _Kendo_?"  
"I practice _Kendo,_ Yoshiko practices_ Kenjutsu_." replied Yoshimi

Being practitioners of such sport, it was understandable why they kept swinging them around, yet what do these forms of swordplay have to do with Sensha-Do? This was what Saori wanted to know.

"So then why did you choose to join Sensha-Do?" she asked.

"I've been an avid fan of such sport for a long time." Haruka replied. She continued  
"Collecting tanks and tank-related things. It's been my hobby for such a long time."

"Yoshiko and I follow Lady Haruka, even if includes studying in Oarai and partaking in Sensha-Do. Also, she and I have wanted to learn a different sport."

"When Lady Haruka asked us if we can try Sensha-Do, so why not?" Yoshiko added

Yukari, being Yukari, suddenly felt a connection with Haruka. A girl she thought would be an enemy of her idol, becoming a possible friend and fellow tank enthusiast. Knowing Haruka was in all respects a fanatic for tanks, she could not help herself but blabber about tanks with her. Yukari asked Haruka.

"What's your favourite tank, Lady Kurebayashi?" Hearing how she asked, Haruka knew she was enthusiastic about tanks herself. Haruka answered with the same enthusiasm.

"The Char B1 bis has got to be my favourite tank. The cast steel, round, one-man turret, the bulky hull, and the unique 75mm hull gun are enthralling! It was a wonderful tank during its time!"

"Sodoko's tank…" Mako said, as she was eating her food slowly.

Haruka started jabbering about her tanks. All the hesitation and reluctance she had to talk to the Anglerfish girls finally waned. It finally looked like it was smooth sailings for them. Hana, Saori, Miho, as well as Yoshimi and Yoshiko, smiled.

"Have you ever participated in Sensha-Do?" Miho asked  
"I haven't, which is why I'm here in Oarai to learn Sensha-Do. And who to learn it better than the brilliant commander of the current champions?"

"Why thank you! But it wasn't much." Miho smirked, trying to be humble about her talent in Sensha-Do.

"Miporin, you're blushing!" Saori teased  
"Am I?"  
"Miho doesn't like being praised." Hana added. Haruka just smiled at them, but with something else in her mind.

Haruka had never gone to school. She was put into home school along with her bodyguards. Her mentors were college professors and would have face-to-face discussions with them. Haruka never knew how it felt walking to school, walking home from school, nor have any friends other than her two bodyguards, Yoshimi and Yoshiko. She's never shared _bento_ with other girls, or chatted with any random student. She sees the girls in front of her as friends who treated each other like sisters, or even closer. They were close friends, a certain companionship she found interesting.

"_So this is the life of a high school girl?__"  
"__They're so casual__…__"  
"I never really thought practitioners of Sensha-Do would __have such a bond__."_

She then remembered watching Oarai just few months back. Haruka was watching the Sensha-Do finals where Oarai defeated Black Forest Peak highschool. The time when Miho helped the Rabbit team after sinking at the riverbed.

She can see the same kind of bond right in front of her. All their laughs, and their joking around.

"_I can just sense the trust they have and their closeness. Does Sensha-Do __really __do that to people?_" she sighed and continued eating. Then all of a sudden, Hana remembered something important. Being a practitioner of Sensha-Do, one must have a tank, but Haruka did not have one. Or so they thought.

"Wait! Do we still have available tanks?" she asked

Saori remembered that they only had eight tanks in their team. She did remember that the Hetzer of the turtle team no longer had any operators, and three of the Leopon's Tiger (P) crew had finally graduated as well.

"The Turtle team's tank is vacant!" Saori said. Yet although there was an available tank, Haruka and her bodyguards had other plans instead. They knew Oarai was lacking in sufficient tanks. Haruka, a rich daughter of a prominent family, had actually managed to purchase a tank.

"No need to provide us a tank." said Yoshimi  
"As you can see, Lady Haruka has ALREADY prepared a tank for us to use." Added Yoshiko

"What!?" the Anglerfish girls went. Surprised that Haruka could just have a tank bought so easily. Although, the Nishizumi's themselves have bought tanks for school, yet were not for personal purposes like Haruka's.

The following day

They headed for the tank garage to see Haruka's tank. Also, this was the time Haruka and her bodyguards were introduced to the other girls.

The girls were in position, just after getting the tanks out of the garage. The girls noticed Haruka, Yoshimi and Yoshiko, they wondered who they were.

"They are the newest recruits for the Oarai team." said their hired instructor, miss Chouno Ami  
"If you've heard of the Kurebayashi family, this is their daughter and now the head. Miss Haruka Kurebayashi!"

"Wow!" the girls went  
_"Isn't that a big company or something?"_  
_"Yeah, I bet it'd be hard for her to lead something like a huge company." _whispered the Rabbit Team.

Another thing they noticed was the thing behind Haruka. It was a tank none of them has ever seen, nor even knew existed, all of them but Yukari. It was a rare Hungarian Turan III. A tank from the Turan series, this Turan was different because of the gun it mounted. A 75mm KwK 40 L/48 was mounted on it. It too had an additional armoured skirt similar to the German _schurtzen_.

"A Turan III!?" Yukari burst with excitement. A Turan III was a rare tank to see, much like the Tiger P they had. To have more than one "Gem" in their team, Yukari could not stop getting excited. She hurried to the Turan and gave it an embrace. Her cheeks rubbed against the steel armour plating, groping the very rivets that kept the hull intact.

"This tank was actually delivered by Tomoyuki yesterday when Oarai moored." Yoshiko said  
"Although we had him deliver it here by tow because we didn't know how to drive it." Yoshimi added

"A tank like this isn't known because the country that made it was Hungary, not famous countries like the United States or Germany." Haruka told Yukari.

"It's not very often to see such a tank!" Yukari said.

"Now what do we name them?" Saori asked  
"Uhmm…" Miho wondered. She looked all around the tank to see a feature. The former president, Anzu, would name the tanks out of how it looked like to her. Miho even climbed the hull to see it in top view. Miho noticed the shape of the turret when seen above looked like a stingray, the turret being the body, and the gun being the tail. Miho then said

"Why not... the Stingray team?" Miho thought of a cute, cartoonish blue stingray with a tiny tail, like the drawing of the Anglerfish on their tank.

"That sounds cute!" Yoshiko commented. Haruka stifled her laugh, naming the tank in such a silly manner. But nonetheless she liked having it named.

"Stingray? I find it funny. But sure, why not?"  
"Then so it shall be!" Yoshimi second the motion. Finally the girls can get inside their beloved tanks and train again in their favourite sport of Sensha-Do. Although they did not get inside their tanks for the duration of the brief spring break, the girls were already itching to use their tanks one more time. Then Miho asked the new Stingray team.

"Do you want to join us, Haruka?"  
"But we don't know how to use a tank yet." Haruka replied

Albeit their absolutely zero training in the sport, the Anglerfish team wanted to do all they can to help their newest team. Each of the members, who specialised in different fields, volunteered to train Haruka and her bodyguards.

"We'll help!" Saori said  
"I can handle with loading and scouting!" Yukari volunteered enthusiastically  
"I'll try to help you fire accurately." Hana added  
"I'll handle with driving…" Mako joined as well

Inside the Turan, Mako started driving the tank around like a professional. Getting the tank in reaching high speeds and stopping it on a dime, all in just a browse of the tank's manual. Yoshimi was outside, amazed by how Mako learnt how to drive the Turan very well in such a short period of time. As Mako got out of the tank, Yoshimi asked Mako.

"How were able to drive like that?"  
"Just read the manual..." Mako said monotonously  
"I don't think that's enough for me to do it as you do." Yoshimi replied  
"Hmm..." Mako went

The gunners then practiced with the Panzer IV's gun at the target range. With the Turan being used for driving, they decided to use the gun of the Panzer IV, armed with the same gun. Yoshiko was eager to learn how to shoot with utmost precision and shoot with the same level of concentration as Hana. Hana told her how to check the range and distance Yoshiko had between her and the target.

"Now… Focus on the target, make sure to concentrate, then fire." Hana instructed  
"I see." Yoshiko said

Yoshiko tried to keep the sights focused and then pulls the trigger.

*BANG* the loud round went. The hot shell case ejects and clanked around the crew compartment's floor, feeling a slight wave of heat from the breech. The thrill of the shot gave Yoshiko a sudden burst of energy. The target was seen with a large broken portion at the left side.

"Good job, although your shot leaned to the left." Hana smiled  
"It felt quite nice firing a real tank gun! I should try again!" said the excited Yoshiko

Haruka was being taught by both Miho and Yukari inside the Panzer IV as well. Being only three members in a five-man tank, Haruka had to be both the loader and the commander. Yukari told Haruka how to carry and lift the shells properly.

"Do I carry it like this?" Haruka asked  
"Yes, that exactly!" Yukari replied  
"The-then I shove it the breech?" Haruka said as she struggled to put the heavy shell  
"Just push in the shell."

"Now you do it as fast as you can. But don't strain yourself." Miho added  
"I see… I'm sorry, I never thought it'd be that heavy, hehehehe." Haruka smirked. Being a child from a prominent family, Haruka has never lifted anything heavier than her school bag, although her arms are slightly bigger than a normal girl's.

"It's okay. It's you first time, so it's fine if you're not too fast with loading." Miho said  
"If you keep lifting and practice loading, you'll get used to it." Yukari added  
"Just do your hardest!" Miho smiled at Haruka

"I see. Thank you." Haruka smiled

Haruka had never felt this welcomed her entire life. She thought that enrolling in the champion's school, she would be subjected to something like rigorous training. But the girls in Oarai were not like the other schools. Miho thought that although training and good leadership was important, camaraderie and teamwork were also an important factor. She never pushed her friends to do what they cannot. In the first place, it was not even important to win, so long as their bonds grew strong and they had fun along the way. Haruka started thinking for a minute, spacing out while looking at the blank.

"_Camaraderie, teamwork, bonds… is this why they __became the champions__?_"  
"_All this time I thought Sensha-Do was about outsmarting or overpowering the enemy."_ She looked at Miho_  
"Nishizumi Miho, and her entire team, shows strong bonds…"_

Finally they decided to call it a day. The Turan was was being parked in reverse by Yoshimi, who learnt just the basics in tank driving.

One assembly and then a bow to end their first session in Snsha-Do of the new school year.

The girls left the school and headed for their homes. The Anglerfish team decided to go somewhere to eat before going their separate ways. As the Anglerfish team left for the nearby café, they noticed that Stingray team girls ahead of them and were going the same route. Saori called to their attention.

"Hey!"

The three girls looked back and saw the Anglerfish team waving at them

"Oh, it's you girls." Yoshimi said  
"Thank you again for the tutoring a while ago." Yoshiko bowed with gratitude

"It wasn't much." Hana disclaimed  
"We were headed to a café nearby, would you like to go with us?" Hana invited

Haruka had never been invited in such a casual manner, but she accepted their offer and the eight girls were on their way. Yet although she felt happy being invited and hanging out like a normal school girl, she cannot help but think. The bonds all the girls in the Oarai Sensha-Do team showed was strong. This bond they want to show the Stingray team as well.

"_Bonds shared between these girls."  
"It's strong…"_

But Haruka had a strong resolve about one thing.

"_Yet although my bonds with these girls in Sensha-__D__o will grow stronger."_

"_I can never tell them…"_

"_That I'm a boy…"_


End file.
